Bathylagus antarcticus
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.gif/180px-Bathylagus_antarcticus_(no_common_name).gif){kind=small} Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
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| Bathylagus antarcticus Günther, 1878 |
Bathylagus antarcticus is a deep-sea smelt of the genus Bathylagus, found in all the southern oceans as far south as Antarctica, from the surface to depths of 4,000 m. Their length is between 10 and 15 cm.
Bathylagus antarcticus is a small deepwater fish with a long tapering body, large head and very large eyes. The second dorsal fin is adipose. It only has a few feeble teeth and probably has a diet of small planktonic animals.
It is a uniform dark brown-black and the muscles are soft and flabby.
Spawning probably occurs 3-4 times a year.
[edit] References
- "Bathylagus antarcticus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. April 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
